Book 20 Yours After Dark #6
“Make me understand, Chloe.” He gives her hand a gentle squeeze. “I have never once felt for any woman what I do for you, and I barely know you. When I tell you there’s nothing you could say that would change that for me, I mean it. I truly mean it.”
“I know you do.”
“And still you won’t tell me.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just…” She’s still coming to grips with it herself and has no idea how to bring other people into it. “I’m not able to talk about it. I’m just not.”
He sighs. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry that it can’t be more, and I’ll understand if you’d rather not hang out tonight.”
“Unless you’re sending me away, I’m staying.”
“I’m not sending you away.”
Having sex with Finn is the biggest mistake she’s ever made. In fact, the minute he removed his shirt to reveal his magnificent chest and abdomen, she’d known this was a huge mistake. She’s invited in crushing heartbreak by allowing this to happen.
Here in her arms is the man of her dreams—handsome, sweet, funny, thoughtful, sexy as all get-out and tied to a family that anyone would want to be part of. How could she have been so stupid to think she could do this once, get him out of her system and move on with her life?
Instead, she’s allowed him so far inside her that she’ll never again be free of him.
Finn goes to get a glass of water and notices her medications on the counter.
He begins to understand there’s more to her swollen knuckles and aches and pains.
When he tries to talk to her about it, she tells him she’s tired and needs to get some rest. He snuggles up to her, determined to find out what’s going on.
Abby is sick most of the night. In the early hours of the morning, Adam decides to call David and asks him to come check on her. Liam is in his highchair, chowing down on oatmeal and applesauce, when David comes downstairs.
Adam’s heart is in his throat. “Is she… Is she okay?” That’s the only thing that truly matters to him—that she and Liam and the rest of his family are okay.
“She’s going to be fine. I’ll let her fill you in. I’ve got to get to the clinic.”
Adam stands to shake his hand. “Thank you for coming by. I really appreciate it.”
Adam brings Liam when he goes upstairs to find Abby sitting up in their bed, crying. “Abby… What’s wrong?” He’s almost afraid to ask.
“David thinks it’s possible I might be…” She takes a deep breath. Releases it.
Adam dies ten thousand deaths.
“Pregnant.”
It takes a second for the word to register, and when it does, he tips his head, hoping he’s heard her correctly. “You… You’re… How is that possible?”
She laughs even as tears spill down her cheeks. “I can’t explain how it’s possible in front of Liam, but Adam, he thinks that’s what it is.”
“Are you happy?” she asks in a soft voice.
“Abby, honey, if I were any happier, my heart would explode. I can’t believe this.”
When Chloe wakes up, Finn convinces her to go out for breakfast with him.
“You’re doing the walk of shame, going out to breakfast in the same clothes you wore last night,” she says.
“I’m not at all ashamed of my walk of shame. I got to spend last night with you. Best night of my life.”
“This was a mistake.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it really was. I still can’t—”
“Because you’re sick?”
If someone punched her in the gut, Chloe couldn’t have been more surprised or knocked breathless than she is by his question.
“It’s none of my business. I know that. But I saw the meds, and I was curious. I’m sorry, but I want to understand, and if that’s the reason you think this can’t happen, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“How can you say that without even knowing what it is?”
“The only thing that matters to me is that we do whatever we can to beat it, so we can spend as much time together as possible.”
Do whatever we can. We. As in the two of them. Together. Is he for real?
“I’m not going to beat it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not something I’ll ever get rid of. It’s something I’m learning to live with.”
“What is it exactly?”
“Rheumatoid arthritis.”
“Oh.” He releases a deep breath. “That’s a relief. I thought it was cancer.”
“It’s not cancer, but it’s going to eventually be an even bigger deal than it is now.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, we’ll deal with that when it happens.”
“Finn, you need to hear me when I tell you that’s not how this is going to go. We had a nice time last night, but that’s all it’s ever going to be.”
“Why are you lying to both of us?”
“I’m not lying.”
“Yeah, you are. What happened between us last night wasn’t a one-night stand, Chloe. It was the start of something much more significant.”
“No, it wasn’t!”
“Yes, it was! I have never felt this way about anyone. Ever.” He looks over at her. “If you don’t feel the same way, I can live with that. But don’t lie to me, Chloe. Please, don’t lie to me. I was there last night. I know you feel the same things.”
“I do, but—”
“No buts. We will deal with this together, and we’ll figure it out together.”
“You’re moving back to the mainland,” she reminds him.
He takes her by the chin. “Sweetheart, as long as you’re here, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You son of a bitch!” A shrieking female voice comes from Chloe’s left, and the woman is upon them before she can begin to process what is happening. The blonde is punching Finn and tearing at his shirt.
Acting without thinking, Chloe pulls the woman off Finn and falls backward, landing hard on the same hip as in the grocery store and then gasps when the woman comes down on top of her and begins beating the crap out of her.
Chloe holds up her arm to ward off the blows. What the fuck is happening?
Then Finn is there, lifting the woman off her. “Missy! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You’re such a liar! You said you didn’t have someone else. You promised me things, and this is what you’re doing? Having breakfast and God knows what else with this whore?”
By now, the diner has come to a halt, and everyone is looking at them.
Who in the hell is this woman who’d given Finn a bloody lip and a rapidly swelling eye and called her a whore?
“I’ll take it from here.” Blaine Taylor pulls handcuffs from his back pocket and slaps them on the woman so quickly, she never sees it coming. “This is Missy, I presume?”
Missy continues to scream and flail against the restraints, but she’s no match for Blaine.
“Yeah.” Finn helps Chloe off the floor. “That’s her.”
Ignoring the stares of everyone in the diner, they walk to his truck, every step causing Chloe new aches after the skirmish and fall. He helps her in and puts the bag of food on the floor in front of her. “I’m really sorry about that.”
“Who is she?”
“My ex-girlfriend, who was apparently making plans for me in my absence that I knew nothing about.”
“What kind of plans?”
“She booked a wedding venue when we have never once talked about getting married.”
“Holy crap. How long has she been your ex?”
“Since before I moved out here. We kept in touch, but I never gave her hope that we’d get back together. I swear.”
“I believe you.”
“And when I told her the wedding she had planned was never going to happen and that we were over for good, she lost her shit and started blowing up my phone. Mac made me report the harassment to Blaine, who called her and told her to knock it off. I thought I’d seen the last of her.
I never imagined she’d attack me—or you. Tell me you’re okay. If she hurt you…”
“I’m okay.” Chloe pulls a tissue from her purse and reaches up to dab at the blood on his lip. “You’ll have a shiner.”
“She cold-cocked me before I realized what was happening.”
“You’re going to press charges, I hope.”
“Hell, yes. If it was just me, I wouldn’t care, but she could’ve hurt you, and that is not okay.”
“It’s not okay with me that she hurt you.”
He cocks an eyebrow and is so ridiculously sexy. “No?”
Chloe shakes her head.
Chloe floats through her morning. She told Finn about her illness, and he still wants to be with her.
She’s falling hard for him. As she’s working on his cousin Janey’s hair, she comments that Chloe is awfully perky considering the benefit was the night before.
It raised more than twenty-five thousand dollars for a great cause.
When Janey pushes for an update on Chloe and Finn, she caves and tells his cousin they’re spending time together.
As one of his biggest fans, Janey shares that he’s the best of their group of cousins.
Even at a young age, he always put others first. At seventeen, he moved in with his grandmother while she recovered from surgery so she wouldn’t have to go to rehab.
He gave up his summer of friends and fun to take care of her.
Chloe tells her about what happened at the diner earlier with Missy.
Janey reassures Chloe she has nothing to worry about where Missy is concerned.
Finn comes to the salon to bring Chloe lunch and invites her to dinner.
He’s also worried that any progress they’ve made with their relationship has been ruined by Missy’s stunt.
Chloe reassures him they’re good. “Come to my place. I’ll make you dinner. ”
“You brought me lunch. I should make you dinner.”
“You’re working. I’m off for the rest of the day.
I’ll cook for you.” He kisses her neck, her cheek and then her lips.
“Oh, and I told Mac he could count on me at the job they’re starting out at the Curtis place, and I accepted Nikki’s offer to squat in her garage apartment for the summer.
In case you’re wondering, everyone is thrilled that I’m sticking around. ”
“You already did all that?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Because of me?”
“Because of us.”